The Chosen Ten
by Saiyan Sabrina
Summary: It started when Ash ran away to the City of Ice and Fire. Now they're on their way to the Temple of Ice and Fire, not knowing what has begun and what they're setting in motion.
1. prologue

**The ****Chosen**** Ten**

Disclaimer: I do **not** own Pokémon! I don't even have my own bedroom…

A week ago Ash Ketchem and his friends had run into Ash' rival, Gary Oak. Once again, the rich and successful trainer had let Ash know exactly _what _Gary thought of him, his pokémon and his ideas of battling and training.   
He had said that Ash was a pitiful excuse for a trainer and that the town of Pallet needed at least one trainer who had his head screwed on right to make up for Ash' incompetence. Therewith, of course Gary had meant himself and a fellow Pallet-trainer who went by the name of Cassandra Birche.   
Of course, Gary had used more and fancier words, but the message was clear and simple, namely 'You're a loser, Ash Ketchem'. 

As a result of this new round of verbal abuse from the auburn-haired boy who had once been his best friend, Ash' self-confidence was at an all-time low. Ash found he couldn't get Gary's words out of his head, no matter how much his friends told him not to think about it or to put it out of his head. The more time passed, the more he became convinced that Gary had been right. Ash became more depressed with each passing minute.

At the present time, Ash was downright miserable and he could barely get himself to eat, let alone fight battles. He was definitely not up to fight Team Rocket, who had once again crossed their path to capture his faithful friend Pikachu.  
The two humans and the feline pokémon had his friend knocked out in a cage that could withstand fire, water and ice; didn't conduct electricity and couldn't be slashed open.  
But the worst thing was that instead of their usual hot-air balloon, the Rockets had a car. And not just any car at that, they had a new Ferrari model that supposedly could pull up from nothing to a hundred-and-fifty miles an hour in a mere second. If that were really so, Ash would never be able to catch up to them.

I'm an awful trainer, Ash thought sadly, running a hand over the spot on his shoulder where Pikachu usually sat when she didn't feel like walking. I can barely remember all of Pikachu's attacks.  
The idea brought tears to his eyes and Ash fled into the nearby woods. He ignored his friends who called after him, even though they were sounding worried and upset.

Misty looked through the trees, hoping to catch a glimpse of Ash' Pokémon League baseball cap, but saw nothing but trees and more trees. Disappointed, she looked back at Brock. His expression mirrored Misty's, but also showed concern for his friend — whereas Misty looked ready to kill. 

The redhead looked at the smug Rockets and angrily pulled out her heavy mallet from her small rucksack. 'You're either all coming with me to find him, or you're going to find out just how heavy this thing is,' she threatened.  
Jesse, James, Meowth and Brock nodded nervously. Each of them wondered how they had allowed the situation to come to the point where Misty showed off her nearly inhuman strength. Even Jesse had trouble when fighting the girl, and she herself had been given a healthy dose of strength as well.

The Rockets gave Misty the keys to the car when she asked for them and the quintet got into the car, three under heavy protests when it became clear to them that they were going to have to go in the back seat. Misty started the engine and flew down the road. If they wanted to catch up with Ash, they would have to drive all the way around the forest. Ash would be out of the forest after less than a quarter of a mile.

'Why do you think he ran off?' Brock wondered aloud.  
'I don't know, but I'm sure it has something to do with our last encounter with Gary,' Misty answered.  
Cramped in the back of the sports car, the Rockets sat fuming over having been threatened into searching for their lost enemy. 'Or maybe, it's because he's an idiot,' Jesse suggested sweetly.

Meanwhile Ash had reached the City of Ice and Fire. It was one of the twelve Elemental Cities, so named because they had each been built around immense and ancient temple complexes. The cities' centres were therefore built in a wide circle around the temple; so the suburbs housed the malls and other such centres; and the City Hall was located just behind the old walls.

Ash was exhausted by the time stopped. He had reached a tiny and dirty alley, and had little choice but to slide down the walls that were green and slippery from the moss that grew on them to catch his breath again. Ash wouldn't have been surprised to see rats scurrying through the alley. He was convinced he was sitting in a grimy alley that any self-respecting homeless man wouldn't be caught dead in because he was a lousy person and an even lousier trainer. He broke down crying, and with each sob that wracked his body the fifteen-year old became more depressed and convinced he was alone.

The wind blew a business card between Ash' fingers. He looked at it. 'Sabrina Practice counsels the hopeless and helps those beyond help. 13 Psychestreet, Ice and Fire City,' it said. I have to try this, Ash thought and stood up. He wiped his eyes dry and sniffed a few times. He then walked away, hoping to find the practice before nightfall.

And all that time, a shaded figure had silently watched. 'It has begun,' he said.  
The figure smiled unpleasantly and leaned forward in his chair. Light spilled onto his young but scarred face, mouth merely a thin line with a gash that was slashed parallel to his cheek bone, still bleeding though obviously a very old wound. He physically appeared to be in his early twenties, but the deep pain and ageless wisdom shining from his deep purple eyes belied his true age. 'Alea jacta est. Let the games begin.'  
He looked up, through the ceiling and into heaven. 'It's your move,' he said to the higher powers.


	2. And so It begins

**The ****Chosen**** Ten –**** … And so It begins**

An hour later, Misty and her halfway hostages found Ash' rucksack and a card lying on it. 'Do you think he's going to see a therapist?'  
'He's stepping into her office right now,' Jesse said, absolutely sure of herself.  
'This isn't funny,' Misty growled, gritting her teeth.  
Jesse folded her arms and glared at her. 'I'm not joking.'

Misty sighed but didn't retort. Instead, she turned to the others and said that they were going to get him. Brock nodded and fell into step beside her. The Rockets, knowing they didn't have a choice, followed them at a distance.   
Misty walked with the confidence of a general and it was somewhat unnerving to Jesse, like Ash' behaviour was. Jesse made sure her hate for him was no secret, but she did know he was determined. She had never seen him break down or run from a battle – especially not when it involved his Pikachu.

The four humans walked in silence, James carrying Pikachu's cage in which the pokémon still lay sleeping. Meowth was contemplating the situation but he couldn't find any reason for everyone to be quiet. Meowth didn't like silence.  
He knew though, that breaking the silence would be inviting two stressed out redheads to freak out and get violent. Meowth preferred being attached to all of his limbs to talking.

Ash sat across the psychologist nervously. Sabrina Quartz was regal and distant rather than comforting and friendly and was firing question after question at him. She was going so fast that Ash hardly had the time to answer her question before she asked the next. 

He was beginning to regret this decision already. He should have just waited for his friends to pick him up in that alley. Not only was she wasting his time and vice versa, but he was also wasting the small amount of money his mother could send him.

Ash was incredibly relieved when half an hour later Sabrina's secretary came in to tell the therapist that she had an appointment to go to. 'You'll get the bill,' Sabrina promised before she left.  
Ash wasn't sure how exactly that was going to happen, since he had never been asked for his name or account number, but he was glad he didn't have to answer any further questions.

'That's strange, it's not locked,' Misty observed.  
She shrugged and entered, followed by Jesse. The older redhead was walking through the halls as if she knew exactly where she was going and stepped into an elevator. James and Meowth followed her without hesitation, Misty and Brock looked at each other and followed them.

'Ash?' Misty saw her friend and ran to embrace him. Brock followed her in a quick group hug.  
Both Jesse and James were looking at it in disgust. 'We have to be here for a reason. The door wasn't locked and there was no one in the foyer or the hallways. I saw some stairways leading higher up in the building,' Jesse said quickly.

'Stairways?' Misty echoed. She hadn't seen any stairways, staircases or stairs.  
'Just follow her,' James said.

Jesse was climbing air. However, James reasoned that that meant that there was, in fact, something and he stepped on the bottom step. He could see it now too, all marble. 'There's a stairway here,' he said.  
The others carefully put a foot where the bottom step should be. They felt solid marble beneath their feet and followed Jesse and James.

'There's a door. But we have to be on the thirteenth floor or something,' Jesse said, looking down at the streets below.  
'It only had four to begin with,' Brock said.  
'See for yourself,' Jesse dared, shoving Brock to the tall window.

Jesse had made her way to the door and was trying to find a handle or a doorknob. When she couldn't find any, she tried to kick it in. The ancient door however,  wouldn't budge.  
Misty noticed Jesse's trouble and tried the door as well. She couldn't even move it a quarter of an inch. Ash, Brock and James realized that if the strongest ones in their company couldn't get the door to open, they definitely wouldn't stand a chance.  
Meowth tried it, but he ended up with a broken claw. 'Open sesame.'  
Nothing happened. James started feeling the walls for a switch. If the structure was as old as it appeared to be from up here, there was probably a secret passage somewhere.

Ash brushed past the Rockets, pushing James out of the way and being shoved against the door by Jesse. By accident, he looked into the small dent in the door. 'Retinal recognized. Earth, welcome,' a metallic voice said.  
The door swung open, revealing a chamber filled with books. James gasped, and so did Misty, though she didn't know why.

James grabbed a book off a random shelf, but he couldn't read it. Misty took it from him. 'Hmm. "Book of Four",' she said and opened it.  
There were four faces on each page; always with the same expressions. At the seventh page, the faces of Jesse, James, Cassidy and Butch looked back at them. Misty took two books from the same shelf James had found this one and opened them as well. 'This one claims it's the "Book of Two", whatever that means. It features…' Misty paused to get to page seven, "Ash and me on page seven".

Misty set that book down as well and took the third one. 'This is the "Book of Five" somehow. Let's see… page seven. Gary, that other Pallet trainer he hangs out with so much, Cassandra Birche, someone I don't recognize, a blank space and Brock'.

James took the books from her and looked at the different faces. He could read them now that Misty had. But they were written in a language he had never seen, had never heard of. To his knowledge, it shouldn't even exist. James trailed the picture of Cassidy to the picture of Butch, and along the top of the pages. He flipped the pages to where the line stopped. 'Ice and Fire,' he muttered.  
'We should go pay a visit to the temple,' James said decisively.


End file.
